Patient satisfaction with oral versus nonoral therapeutic approaches in onychomycosis.

The follow-up results of a 9-month observational study of 150 onychomycosis patients treated with a variety of mechanical, topical, and oral therapies by podiatric physicians and dermatologists are presented. Changes from baseline in toenail condition and patient satisfaction were assessed at 4- and 9-month follow-up. At 9 months, patients who had received oral therapy reported significantly fewer onychomycosis-related problems in social situations, including embarrassment or self-consciousness about the appearance of nails, avoidance of contact by others, being perceived as unclean or untidy, and the desire to keep their nails concealed. Patient-reported satisfaction with the treatment program was significantly higher for those receiving oral therapy than for those receiving nonoral therapy.

Cost of treatment for onychomycosis. Data from a 9-month observational study.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate component and total costs of treatment and to examine differences in cost and cost effectiveness between oral antifungal medication and local therapy for patients with toenail onychomycosis. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study of patients with onychomycosis who visited dermatologists and podiatrists in the US. Physicians provided data on clinical management, disease severity, nail improvement and resource utilisation. Patients completed questionnaires on resource utilisation and symptoms at base-line, 4 and 9 months. To estimate costs, reported utilisation was multiplied by unit costs expressed in 1997 US dollars ($US) and derived in 2 ways: first, using Medicare fees; and second, using standard physician fees. RESULTS: After adjustment for key demographic and clinical variables, participants receiving oral medication had higher total costs based on standard fees ($US794 vs $US575) and medication costs ($US564 vs $US109), lower procedure costs ($US0 vs $US122) and physician visit costs ($US200 vs $US330), and greater clinical effectiveness as measured by global improvement rating (86 vs 35%) and Toenail Symptom Index (94 vs 49%). For participants receiving oral medication, 90% of total costs were incurred during the first 4 months of follow-up, whereas for those receiving local therapy, costs were more evenly distributed throughout the study period. Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis showed $US304 to $US491 per additional case improved with oral medication over a 9-month timeframe. Extrapolation of these results using 2 time-points (months 4 and 9) suggested that cost equivalence would be reached 17 to 21 months following the initiation of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: During 9 months of follow-up in patients with toenail onychomycosis, the use of oral antifungal medication resulted in superior patient outcomes, but at higher total cost compared with local therapy.

Impact of positive surgical margins on prostate cancer recurrence and the use of secondary cancer treatment: data from the CaPSURE database.

PURPOSE: We determined the impact of positive surgical margins on prostate specific antigen (PSA) recurrence and secondary treatment in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy as definitive local treatment for prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the pathology reports of 1,383 patients in the CaPSURE database, a longitudinal disease registry of men with prostate cancer, who underwent radical prostatectomy as definitive local treatment. Pathological stage, Gleason score, and the number and location of any positive surgical margins were determined in each patient. PSA recurrence was defined as PSA 0.2 ng./ml. or greater on 2 consecutive occasions after radical prostatectomy. Secondary cancer treatment consisted of radiation or androgen deprivation after radical prostatectomy. Adjuvant and nonadjuvant secondary treatment was given within and more than 6 months after radical prostatectomy, respectively. Kaplan-Meier event rates of PSA recurrence and secondary treatment were calculated for patients with positive and negative surgical margins. We performed multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis to adjust for clinical differences in groups. RESULTS: Patients with positive surgical margins were significantly more likely to undergo secondary adjuvant or nonadjuvant cancer treatment and have PSA recurrence than those with negative margins. After adjusting for patient age, ethnicity, PSA at diagnosis, pathological stage and Gleason score, surgical margin status was an important independent predictor of PSA recurrence and secondary treatment (p = 0.06 and 0.0011, respectively). The number of positive margins and positive margin location had little impact on the outcomes measured. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that surgical margin status is an independent predictor of PSA recurrence and secondary cancer treatment in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy as definitive local therapy for prostate cancer.

Quantifying comorbidity in a disease-specific cohort: adaptation of the total illness burden index to prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of comorbid illness when analyzing medical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to adapt a generic comorbidity index, the Total Illness Burden Index (TIBI), for use in men with prostate cancer, and to evaluate the usefulness of the new instrument in adjusting for the impact of comorbidity on functional outcomes in a prostate cancer cohort. METHODS: The TIBI uses patients' self-report of symptoms and diagnoses to determine not only the presence but also the severity of comorbidities in each of 16 body system domains. To create the TIBI-P (prostate cancer modification), some domains were added and others were modified according to clinical criteria. The TIBI-P was completed by 1638 men with prostate cancer followed up longitudinally in 29 urology practices in the United States. TIBI-P scores were calculated for each patient and analyzed with scores on the SF-36 quality-of-life questionnaire and with patient report of days confined to bed. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and income, lower SF-36 scale scores and increases in confinement to bed were associated with a greater burden of comorbid illness as measured by the TIBI-P, independent of the extent of prostate cancer. The TIBI-P explained 24% of the variance in the SF-36 physical functioning domain score. CONCLUSIONS: The TIBI-P is a powerful measure of the impact of comorbid illness on the quality of life and functioning among patients with prostate cancer. This index may prove valuable in research on clinical and economic outcomes of prostate cancer.

Use of imaging tests for staging newly diagnosed prostate cancer: trends from the CaPSURE database.

PURPOSE: We describe secular trends in the use of imaging tests to stage prostate cancer, evaluate the impact of selected clinical factors on test use and compare physician actual use with recommendations in recently published literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective nonrandomized analysis of a longitudinal disease registry enrolled 3,557 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1989 and 1997 at 29 urology practices throughout the United States. Using logistic regression the odds of performing pelvic computerized tomography (CT), pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bone scan and excretory urogram were determined annually from 1989 to 1997. The frequency of test use was compared with recommendations from a recent urology literature synopsis. RESULTS: Use of MRI, CT, bone scan and excretory urogram was unchanged from 1989 to 1997. Compared to recent findings in the clinical literature bone scan, CT and MRI were used too frequently in patients at low risk for metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Urologists may be overusing bone scan, CT and MRI to stage tumors in patients with a low risk of advanced prostate cancer. Further studies are needed to assess the relationship between individual staging strategies and clinical outcomes.

Use of second treatment following definitive local therapy for prostate cancer: data from the caPSURE database.

PURPOSE: We compare secondary cancer treatment use in patients who underwent definitive local treatment for prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rate of second cancer treatment was determined in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (1,254), radiotherapy (499) or cryosurgery (141) using data from the CaPSURE database, a longitudinal disease registry of patients with prostate cancer. Second treatments started within 3 months after initial treatment were defined as adjuvant and those started more than 3 months were defined as nonadjuvant. Using a parametric regression model of survival analysis, second treatment rates were adjusted for differences in clinical and demographic characteristics, and duration of followup among groups. RESULTS: Of the patients 4% received a second adjuvant treatment and 17% received a second nonadjuvant treatment within 3 years of initial therapy. Adjusted rates of nonadjuvant second treatment were lowest after radical prostatectomy, and 34 and 88% higher after radiation and cryosurgery, respectively (p = 0.01). This finding was most evident in patients with pretreatment prostate specific antigen 10.0 ng./ml. or less, clinical stage T2N0M0 disease, or Gleason score 6 or less on diagnostic biopsy, and in those classified as low risk for recurrence based on a combination of these parameters (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 1 in 5 patients receive second cancer treatment within a mean of 3 years following initial local treatment for prostate cancer. Our data suggest that the likelihood of receiving second treatment was lowest in patients initially treated with radical prostatectomy.

Onychomycosis. Baseline results of an observational study.

The investigators present an analysis of baseline quality-of-life and patient-management approaches from an observational study of 150 patients being treated by podiatric physicians and dermatologists for onychomycosis. The majority (73%) made the initial office visit specifically because of their onychomycosis. Both men and women indicated that they had substantial physical discomfort as well as concerns related to appearance. Women reported significantly more problems than did men as a result of their onychomycosis. Physicians reported that 54% of patients suffered from toenail discomfort, 36% had pain while walking, 40% reported that their condition limited wearing of shoes, and 67% were embarrassed by the condition. The results of this study suggest that the treatment approach of podiatric physicians is more likely to address the palliative concerns of patients with onychomycosis, while the approach of dermatologists is more likely to attempt a definitive cure.

The CaPSURE database: a methodology for clinical practice and research in prostate cancer. CaPSURE Research Panel. Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor.

OBJECTIVES: Implicit in the modern concept of patient outcome assessment is a shift from primary reliance on clinical indicators to a broader definition that includes physical, psychological, and social well-being. This is especially true of prostate cancer, where treatment can profoundly alter patient well-being. We have initiated a longitudinal observational database, CaPSURE (Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor) to document the impact of prostate cancer on resource utilization, clinical outcomes, health-related quality of life and survival in typical practice settings. METHODS: Observational databases have been used in the treatment of other conditions. We have incorporated many well-tested elements in our study. Data are collected from two sources: the physician and the patient. The urologist enrolls eligible patients into the study, completes a medical history, and records current status, treatment, and laboratory results at each office visit. Patients complete quarterly questionnaires on health-related quality of life, resource utilization, work loss, and satisfaction with care. RESULTS: Currently 21 sites participate in CaPSURE with 1419 patients enrolled by April 1996. Twenty percent of patients are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer. Time since diagnosis averages 3.0 years (SD = 3.1); mean age at diagnosis is 68.9 years (SD = 7.9, range = 39.6 to 90.7). The majority of patients (72%) are diagnosed with Stage B cancer. Patients receive a variety of treatments including surgery, irradiation, hormonal therapy, and watchful waiting. CONCLUSIONS: Information available from CaPSURE will assist practicing urologists who must make clinical decisions on the basis of data such as the results of treatment in typical care settings, the effect of prostate cancer and its treatment methods on patient quality of life, and the effect on health care costs of the early detection of prostate cancer.

Are children born to young mothers at increased risk of maltreatment?

Previous case-control or cross-sectional studies have provided conflicting results about whether children of teenage mothers are at increased risk of maltreatment compared with children of older mothers. This study is the first to examine this question using a longitudinal, cohort design and the first to address important methodologic issues such as detection bias. Subjects were 219 consecutive index children born to inner-city women who were 18 years or younger and 219 sociodemographically similar comparison children born to women 19 years or older. Data were collected by reviewing the medical records of each child through the fifth birthday. Three outcomes were examined: maltreatment, poor growth, and a change in the child's primary caretaker. Maltreatment was ascertained by having two experts, one of whom was blind to the group status, review each injury documented in the records. Predefined criteria were used to distinguish unintentional injuries from maltreatment (abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse). Maltreatment occurred more frequently in the children of young mothers (12.8%) than in the comparison group (6.4%) (risk ratio [RR] = 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17, 3.64). Poor growth, defined by growth criteria, occurred in 6.9% of the index group and in 4.1% of comparison children (RR = 1.67; 95% CI = 0.75, 3.73). A change in the child's primary caretaker, either because of placement in foster care or because the mother left the home, occurred in 12.8% of the index group and in 3.2% in comparison children (RR = 4.00; 95% CI = 1.80, 8.87).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Maltreatment of children born to teenage mothers: a comparison between the 1960s and 1980s.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the rates or the reporting of maltreatment of children born to teenage mothers changed from the 1960s to the 1980s. DESIGN: Comparison of two cohorts. SETTING: Ambulatory services of Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Conn. PATIENTS: Consecutive children born to black teenage mothers; the "early" cohort comprised 148 children born from September 1967 through June 1969, and the "late" cohort, 159 children born from October 1979 through December 1981. OUTCOME MEASURES: Each injury for which the child was medically evaluated from birth to 5 years of age was categorized by predefined criteria as follows: maltreatment (abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse), household violence, unintentional injury-neglect, unintentional injury, or insufficient information. RESULTS: The rates of maltreatment in the early cohort and in the late cohort were similar: 12.8% versus 10.7% (relative risk (RR) = 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.45, 1.54). The rates of unintentional injury also were similar: 52% in the early cohort versus 60% in the late cohort (RR = 1.17; 95% CI = 0.96, 1.43). In contrast, 30% of the episodes of maltreatment were reported to the state protective service agency in the early cohort versus 65% of episodes in the late cohort (RR = 2.14; 95% CI = 1.08, 4.26). CONCLUSION: Among children born to teenage, black, inner-city women, the rates of child maltreatment are similar from the late 1960s to the 1980s. The increased rates of reporting of maltreatment reflect increased rates of recognition by clinicians, rather than true increases in prevalence.

Age of recognition of pervasive developmental disorder.

In DSM-III, pervasive developmental disorder is divided into two major categories: infantile autism and childhood onset pervasive developmental disorder. The criteria differ, primarily, in the age of onset. The authors studied 129 patients who had received diagnoses of pervasive developmental disorder or a related disorder and found only five cases of apparent childhood onset pervasive developmental disorder. These five patients were behaviorally indistinguishable from those with other diagnoses. Practically, age of onset may be more appropriately termed "age of recognition," and its use as a major diagnostic criterion for such disorders may not be justified.

A user-oriented information system for emergency medicine.

A user-oriented Emergency Medical Services Information System ( EMSIS ) has been developed in our medical center that can readily be established by any interested medical center. This minicomputer based system provides online registration of poison center calls, access to the Poisindex (C) data base, concise patient information sheets, access to EMS treatment protocols, assistance in the differential diagnosis of acute poisoning, dosage recommendations for drugs with a narrow therapeutic margin, and kinetic analysis of drug overdoses. Video terminals access EMSIS in the Emergency Department, pharmacy, outpatient medicine clinic, pediatric clinic, medicine wards, poison control center, and biomedical engineering. A PDP 11/70 with 256 Kb core and 48 ports running under RSTS /E V7 .0 supports an average of 20 simultaneous users.

Perception of wheel-generated motions.

Data are presented on an old and familiar Gestalt demonstration--perceiving wheel-generated motions--in which the perceived motions of a rolling wheel are shown not to be obviously derived from the motions of the parts. The history of study of this phenomenon is presented, and contradictions in the literature are noted. The focus for experimentation is on the contrasting approaches found in Johansson's perceptual vector analysis and Wallach's arguments for the priority of object-relative displacement in the extraction of invariants. Johansson's approach asserts that common vectors are extracted from moving events first, whereas Wallach asserts that the motion of objects relative to each other is first. These two approaches yield different predictions about what ought to be seen when different configurations are viewed in rotation. In five experiments viewers rated how wheellike the movement of various point-light systems attached to a rolling wheel appeared to be. Results support Wallach's views over Johansson's. Viewer judgments of goodness in wheellike motion correspond highly with a mathematical description of the parameters of cycloidal motion for the geometric center of any system of lights on a rolling wheel. This specification can be made only after the extraction of object-relative displacement information. Number of lights and order of symmetry influence viewer judgments to a much lesser degree, and placement of a light at the wheel's center matters not at all.